To successfully integrate DVA-7996 into other Alpine systems, including CD/DVD changers, 5.1-channel processors, monitors, the new product features Ai-Net system bus, and VersatileLink interface for external MP3 player, game consoles and TV tuners.

Alpine DVA-7996 is already available in retail. Its suggested price is $1300.

We´ve recently reported that Matsushita Electric announced new Sound Slim speakers, utilizing horizontal magnetic current created by two repelling magnets. Now the company announced new Sound Window products: flat Acoustic Panel speaker and Acoustic Touch Panel (A-TTP) speaker integrated into a sensor panel.

The technology essence is that Aero Drive speakers utilize thin film, that doesn´t require a hard base to create sound. Moreover, they say that external pressure on such panel will result in volume reduction, as other areas of flexible film will continue to vibrate.

As you know, sound "holes" of current mobiles and PDAs accumulate much dirt and moisture (and microbes :-), so, the idea to combine speakers with LCD protection panels is rather prospective, as it can make any holes in a mobile / PDA obsolete. Matsushita Electric plans to ship its speakers from August and to launch volume production of acoustic panels in March 2003.

Today Hitachi announced that its Hitachi Manufacturing Works Group has successfully finished qualification tests of next-generation high-speed MultiMedia Card (MMC) Version 3.1, approved by MMCA (MultiMediaCard Association). Now Hitachi is ready for volume production.

Currently the new Hitachi HB28xxxxMM2 MMC family features 16MB, 32MB, 64MB and 128MB cards. 256MB will be announced in the near future.

The new standard regulates higher read/write and more strict energy consumption requiments. For example, 128MB HB28xxxxMM2 MMC cards support up to 1.6 write speed.

The latest ALi chipset roadmap is rather serious about Pentium 4 platform. By the way, M1683 chipset is already aimed at DDR-II support; some integrated chipsets from Ali will feature Trident XP4 graphics.

Today Trident Microsystems officially announced its family of DX8.1 / 9.0 XP4 GPU with tile architecture for up to $100 graphics cards supporting up to 128MB and up to 700 MHz (DDR) clock rates.

XP4 desktop family includes:

XP4 T3  up to 128MB of 128-bit up to 700 MHz DDR memory

XP4 T2  up to 64MB of 128-bit up to 500 MHz DDR memory

XP4 T1  up to 64MB of 128-bit up to 500 MHz DDR memory

As for DX8.1/9.0 cards below $100, they mean the most performance XP4 T3 chip with 300 MHz clock rate and less than 4 W dissipated power.

XP4 T2 operates at 250 MHz. According to the company, 64MB cards will appear in retail for less than $79.

Low-end XP4 T1 250 MHz cards will cost less than $69.

All XP4 family GPUs are made at UMC facilities using 0.13-micron CMOS process technology and feature about 30 million transistors. The company name the following main advantages of XP4 chips:

BrightPixel rendering engine with hardware vertex and pixel shaders

SmartTile memory architecture with throughput optimization

CoolPower energy saving technology

Multiview supporting CRT, DVI and TV out

Up to QXGA (2048x1536) resolutions with 420 MHz RAMDAC

DXVA with IDCT and Motion Compensation hardware support

Modern deinterlacing technology for high-quality DVD playback

AGP 4È

All three XP4 desktop models are packaged into 612-pin BGA (31x31 mm) casings. Currently XP4 T1, T2 and T3 are available as samples only, their volume production is expected in October. Presumably, Trident Microsystems will follow NVIDIA and will only ship its GPUs to third party card makers. Up to 90% of shipments are expected to be T2 and T1 models. According to the company, XP4 T3 core can be a rival to GeForce4 Ti 4200 and Radeon 9000 Pro. But let´s be sceptic before first test results arrive.